


In The Vapours

by AdornTheThrill



Category: Alice in Wonderland (2010), Descendants (2015)
Genre: Disney, F/M, Falling In Love, Games, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Interracial By Fantasy Standards, Interracial Relationship, Love, Matchmaking, Mischief, Peer Pressure, Romance, Self-Acceptance, Self-Discovery, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Content, Smoking, Stereotypes, Tea, Tea Parties, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Underage Smoking, Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:23:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4657695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdornTheThrill/pseuds/AdornTheThrill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The descendants of three of Underland's most notable citizens are sent to Auradon Prep to satisfy an agreement to unify the two kingdoms. There is Chesleigh, daughter of Cheshire cat, who seems to have an infatuation with playing matchmaker. Then is Tate Hightopp, son of Tarrant Hightopp (AKA the Mad Hatter), he's wacky and sometimes makes absolute nonsense. Finally is Absinthe, daughter of Absolem (the Blue Caterpillar). Not only did she inherit her father's languorous personality, but his smoking habits as well.</p><p>Jay, son of Jafar, is Auradon Prep's resident player. Smooth lines flow from him so easily and naturally that he can literally charm the pants off of any girl he sets his sights on. His handsome features and toned physique definitely make it all the more easier for his prey to relinquish their bodies to him.</p><p>When the descendants of Underland arrive, Jay meets his match in the odd trio of friends.</p><p>*This will be changed to a Mature rating as the story progresses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Different colored rings of smoke drifted into the air as a girl with dark blue hair laid upside-down on a giant mushroom. "A new..." The girl inhaled from her long hookah and exhaled a couple more smoke rings. "School?" She asked languidly.

"Yes..." Answers a small, blue caterpillar resting on a nearby leaf. He looked upon the girl's pipe with great envy.

She rolled her eyes at the look of longing in his eyes before circling it around, letting the smoke completely cover him. "Oh, go on, you old worm." Her tone still indifferent, but a tiny, barely noticeable smile was planted on her lips.

The old creature raised his head just above the vapors, releasing a steady stream of smoke from his mouth. A slight smile graced his face. "I am neither old nor a worm. I am your father, Absinthe."

"Could've fooled me." A smirk taking place of her smile.

Just then, the White Queen rounded the corner in all her elegance and grace. She coughs twice daintily. “I honestly do not understand one’s fascination with smoking, but I will not judge.” She brushes off an old, marble bench with short, quick sweeps and sits down with her arms raised in her trademarked stance. Folding her hands on her knee like a true royal, she smiles at the two overly-relaxed characters. “Am I right to assume that you’ve been informed by your father that you and your friends are to attend Auradon Preparatory Academy?”

Keeping the smirk on her face, Absinthe answers “Yesss…” Exhaling smoke in the shape of the letter ‘S’.

The Queen claps once with excitement written clearly in her features and extends a hand to Absinthe. “Come along, my dear Sin. We must load your things into the transport that has been sent.” Seeing as how Absinthe was one of three descendants in all of Underland and the Queen was without a spouse to bear an heir, the Queen had always treated her and the other two as though they were her children. She’d even given Absinthe the nickname of Sin, due to her name...obviously.

Sin and her father, Absolem, rolled their eyes at each other in amusement. Sighing, Sin sat up and took the pale woman’s hand. As she allowed the Queen to lead her out of the overgrown garden, she heard her father’s deep voice calling her name. Looking over her shoulder she saw him cock his head towards her hookah.

“Your majesty,” The Queen pauses mid-stride and looks at Sin curiously. “I’ll be right back. I seem to have forgotten something.” Not waiting for a response, she glides back to the mushroom and grabs the vintage bong. She looks down at her normally expressionless father and notices a glint of something in his eye behind his monocle.

Bending down to the little caterpillar, she places a gentle kiss on his head. “I love you, daddy.” She whispers, knowing she hadn't called him ‘daddy’ since she was a little girl.

The tear falls down from underneath his gold-rimmed monocle. “I love you too, my beautiful butterfly.” He whispers back with a genuine, unashamed-to-be-shown smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, my son..." the Hatter pulled a tall, slim built boy into his tight embrace. He sniffled as his vision blurred from the tears welling up in his eyes.

The boy awkwardly patted his father's back. "It's only for this school year, dad."

"He's right, uncle Tare." A silver-haired girl giggled as she materialized a foot above them and snatched up Tate's vibrant-colored top hat. "And we'll see you on Family Day." She smiled widely, showing most of her pearly whites and twirling the hat around her hand.

Absinthe blew out a stream of smoke and grabbed the hat mid-twirl. "What a nuisance..." She drawled, handing the Wellington back to its proper owner.

"Thanks, Abs." Tate said relieved and glared at Chesleigh. Cradling his hat like a mother protecting her child, he finished saying his goodbyes and slid into the waiting limo.

Chesleigh soon followed suit. Soon a ruckus and a cat cry of anguish were emitted from the limo. "You just hit a girl!"

Tate bellows back in a Scottish accent. "You guddler's scuttish pilgar lickering shuckem juggling slunin' urp-pals, barlom muck egg brimni-"

"Son!" The Hatter yells to bring him back to his senses.

"I'm good!" Tate wheezes, but hissing can still be heard coming from the limo.

"She's still as dimwitted as the last time she tried to steal his hat." Absinthe blows out a few puffs of smoke with a bored expression on her face.

Tarrant pulls the languid girl into his arms. "Take care of them." He said in her ear.

"Don't I always?" She smirked, pulling out of his arms. Tarrant tapped her nose with a smile of amusement. "And you, please take care of my father. He isn't as lively as he once was."

"Was he ever?" The Hatter furrows his eyebrows in mock confusion.

She giggles at her emerald-eyed uncle. "Best not to let him hear that."

He chuckles and cups her face in his rough hands. "Never lose your muchness, little raven."

Pecking his cheek, she answers with a wink. "Always." With that she makes her way to the car, making sure to scratch behind Cheshire's ears as she passes. "I'll see you on Family Day, Chess. And leave the hat alone."

"No promises..." Cheshire responds in a sing-song voice before fading bit by bit, leaving his signature smile for last.

\---

"How...bright..." Absinthe observes in a dull tone as she exits the now smoke-filled car. Chesleigh and Tate stumble out behind her, coughing incessantly. Glancing at her companions, she scoffs. "Lightweights..."

"Welcome!" Says a short, cheery woman with her brunette hair pulled back into a tight bun. "I am Fairy Godmother, headmistress here at Auradon Prep." She gives a little curtsy.

Tilting her head back, Absinthe blows out a stream of smoke rings. Chesleigh giggles and materializes in and out of the smoke hoops. "Down, kitty..." Absinthe lulls with a hint of irritation.

“Oh...there is none of that,” The Fairy Godmother gestures grandly to Sin’s smoke, while marveling at the many different shades and shapes being produced. “Here.” She finishes definitively, keeping her warm smile in place. Somehow she had managed to come across genuine as opposed to condescending.

Chesleigh sings, “It's just a bit of Underland..." She vanishes and reappears, hanging upside down, face to face with Fairy Godmother. "Wonder."

"And I reiterate," Tate sighs. "Down, kitty." She hisses and bares her teeth at him.

"Now..." Sin coaxes with a roll of her eyes. All of a sudden the pale girl is planted on her two feet next to Absinthe, folding her arms and pouting.

Tate clears his throat and speaks up. "But seriously, if she doesn't smoke she goes absolutely bonkers!" He throws his arms up and shakes them violently. "Completely mad!"

Continuing to smoke, Sin rubs his back soothingly. "Relax, dear." He gives her an apologetic smile and slowly lowers his arms.

"Ah...well, if it is for medicinal purposes then you may keep your..." Not quite knowing what Absinthe's contraption was, Fairy Godmother simply gestured to it. Sin raises her pipe slightly in a motion of acknowledgment and gratitude. "Well, the doors of knowledge are never closed!" She continued dramatically. "But the library is only open from ten to eight. We have a very strict curfew policy."

"Buzzkill..." Chesleigh mumbles, earning a glare from Tate.

Oblivious to the exchange, Fairy Godmother finishes. "And again, welcome." She gives one last warm smile before leaving.

A boy in a navy blazer steps forward. "I'm Ben. It is a pleasure to meet you three." He eagerly shakes their hands.

"Ah, yes...The Boy King." Absinthe says to no one in particular.

Tate shakes his head at the indifferent, blue-haired girl. "Don't mind her. I am Tate Hightopp. Pleasure to meet you, your majesty." He introduces and tips his hat.

Ben waves off the formality. "Just Ben, please."

"Well Ben," Chesleigh speaks up. "The name's Chesleigh, but just call me Leigh."

"And you?" Ben prompts Sin.

"Absinthe." She answers simply, giving no indication of furthering her introduction. Ben chuckles at her odd behavior and leads them inside for a tour.

At the end of their tour Ben leads them to a flight of stairs. "Your rooms are just up the steps, down the hall, and the second and fifth doors to your left."

Just as they were about to head up they hear, "Hey, Ben." A girl with purple hair links her arm with his and pecks his cheek.

"Hey, Mal. Meet Tate, Chesleigh, and Absinthe." He motions to the group.

"You guys are from Wonderland, right?" Mal asks, facing the odd trio of friends.

Rolling her eyes, Absinthe blows out rings which frame Mal's face in deep hues of purples and greens. "Nooo..." She replies apathetically with just a touch of irritation. "We are from Underland, stupid girl..."

Mal's head cocked to the side and through tight lips she asked, "Excuse me?"

Tate looked nervously to Sin. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son!  
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!  
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,  
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,  
And burbled as it came!" He warns Sin in his deep, Scottish accent.

Smirking up at her concerned best friend, she winks before replying with unusual vigor. "One, two! One, two! And through and through  
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!  
He left it dead, and with its head  
He went galumphing back."

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?" Tate continues, a wide grin beginning to form on his face.

Beaming, Chesleigh piped up. "Come to my arms, my beamish boy!  
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" She hopped and kicked her heels together with glee, unknowingly remaining in the air.

The three friends finished in unison. "`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves  
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;  
All mimsy were the borogoves,  
And the mome raths outgrabe."

Ben clapped enthusiastically, joined by a large group that had stopped and giggled at what they considered entertainment. The noise reminded the Underland descendants they were no longer home and the poem in which they had often sought comfort and triumph with their families was soon forgotten.

Chesleigh's bright, mischievous grin diminished without a trace. The flaming passion burning in Tate's eyes was instantly extinguished. Absinthe lightly bit the end of her long pipe, her usually indifferent expression quickly settling back on her face.

They were not a circus show to be gawked at. This was a piece of tragic history, not some form of amusement. Too much blood had been shed at the hands of the Red Queen and the demon called, the Jabberwocky. Blood of those whom they had loved dearly as children.

Slowly releasing a straight line of dull grey smoke, Absinthe begins ascending the nearest flight of stairs. She glances down at the crowd over her shoulder and narrows her eyes in a glare so menacing yet so subtle, the flock of Uplanders were left in a daze wondering why they were suddenly afraid.


	3. Chapter 3

Fresh out of the shower, Jay secured a towel around his hips before exiting the bathroom and entering the bedroom portion of his new dorm room. He and Carlos had been moved into a larger room with three beds to accommodate a new transfer student. 

He had just slipped on a pair of boxers when he heard the door groan as it opened. "Hey, Carlos--" Turning around, he is stunned by a pair of unfamiliar eyes widened in surprise. He studies the newcomer curiously.

She had thick, blue hair that cascaded far past her shoulders to the tips of her thighs and was attractively disheveled. Thick lashes framed two hazel orbs. Her face was bare, yet the caramel colored skin stretched tautly across her high cheekbones caught the light perfectly at every angle. Her style was slightly grunge and a barely noticeable trace of Victorian.

The black, lace corset she wore seemed to hug her curves comfortably rather than squeeze her waist impossibly thin. The sleeves of her plaid button-up were rolled up to her elbows. Its color was only a shade darker than her hair. Her skinny jeans were ripped from her thighs to her knees. Her combat boots were a mixture of gray and black with blue towards the bottom. Black, gothic lace covered her wrists. Coiled metal and a dark sapphire crystal made up the ring she wore on her left, middle finger. Her neck was adorned with a tear-shaped pendant hanging from a simple silver chain.

The pipe of a hookah was held lazily in one hand and the bong part was cradled against her hip by the other. That simple stance expressed so much about her inherited languid nature. Yet the excessive amount of smoke drifting about her person spoke of a different tale.

And she was so real. Despite the oddity of her being, she was the most natural thing Jay had ever had the privilege to witness. She was breathtaking.

Slowly, he moves closer to her. With a body like that, he had to explore it in its most natural form...naked. He smirks confidently as he remembers the state he was in. His toned, athletic physique and obvious sexual knowledge had made him quite popular with the girls of Auradon Prep. A lazy, cocky grin slides into position on his face. “Like what you see?” He teases and licks his slightly pink lips.

The girl scoffs and turns her head away. "Uh...Tate. I think this is your dorm." She calls over her shoulder, making sure her head remained facing away. Jay’s smirk drops with disappointment and throws on dark jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He uses the girl's distraction to continue to admire her, smiling appreciatively as he took in her assets.

His trance was broken when a pale, slim boy entered the room followed by a silver-haired girl. The characters seemed just as odd, but not as nonchalantly natural as the girl smoking by the door.

The wild-eyed boy cleared his throat before speaking. "Tate Hightopp." He stuck his hand out to Jay.

The orange-haired boy's motley appearance threw Jay off for a second, but he gathered himself and shook his hand. "Jay, son of Jafar." He smiles flirtatiously at the silver-haired girl. "And who are you?"

Chesleigh blushes and she shyly smiles up at the tanned teen through her thick, silver lashes. "Chesleigh, but please just call me Leigh."

Tate sighs and shakes his head. "Someone is definitely wearing a cat." He mutters to Absinthe.

She nods in agreement before speaking. "C'mon Chessur...We've got to unpack before evening tea." She pushes off the door frame coolly, looking at Chesleigh expectantly. When the mischievous cat doesn't budge, the other two Underlandians share knowing looks. "We'll come back when we're done." Sin rolls her eyes at a pouting Chesleigh before hauling her down the hall.

Tate is left looking about the dorm in confusion. "Ummm...which--"

"Yours is the one in the middle." Jay cuts him off and points to a bed situated between a wardrobe and a bedside table.

Tate nods his thanks before carefully placing a large, paisley carpet-bag on the bed and gently takes out a sewing machine and a variety of hats. He carefully hangs them in the wardrobe and sets up a workstation at the bedside table. Jay observes quietly. "You have a question." The orange-haired newbie states.

"Yeah, but it can wait."

Tate chuckles at his hesitant roommate and starts tossing his belongings into the wardrobe and into drawers. Everything lands in their respective places and folded neatly. The young hatter sits on the edge of his bed and motions for the former bad boy to ask his question.

"So...your father is the Mad Hatter, right?" He grabs a chair and sits across from Tate, who nods stiffly. He was particularly defensive when Upperlandians talked about his father.

Jay continues, “And your friends?”

“Chesleigh is the daughter of Cheshire--”

“Cat?” Jay interrupts for clarification.

Nodding, Tate continues. “And Absinthe is the daughter of Absolem.” The tanned teen cocks his head in confusion.

A familiar female's languid voice speaks up, “In Upperland, he is called the Blue Caterpillar.” The boys face the doorway to find the other two Underland teens. Absinthe was expertly balancing a full tea set (tray and all) along with her bong atop a teapot in one hand as she held her pipe between the fingers of her other hand. “How…” Sin inhales from said pipe deeply, allowing an impressive amount of vapor to fill her lungs before expelling it in the shape of a caterpillar. “Creative.” She finishes sarcastically.

Tate suddenly jumps up excitedly. “My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody!” And he dashes out of the room.

“Dude…” Jay starts. “It's only like 3 in the afternoon.” He states in confusion, but only gains a shrug in response from the remaining two Underlandians.

“Time for tea is always half-past five.” Absinthe replies coolly as she follows her bouncing best friend down the corridor.

“Translation…” Chesleigh giggles. “It's always time for tea.” She grins broadly before vanishing.

Jay shakes his head and chuckles. Those three were definitely going to make life interesting.

\---

The trio of Underland friends looked around the cold, dull kitchen with disgust. Chesleigh ran a long, manicured nail along the edge of a stainless steel counter. “You'd think fairytale characters would have much more…” She trailed off.

“Muchness?” Tate finished for her.

She nods appreciatively. “Yes, much more muchness.”

Absinthe studied the kitchen a second longer before sighing in defeat. “It's definitely not home, but it's what we have.” And with that she began filling the pot with water.

\---

Rolling her eyes, Absinthe walked outdoors with the tea set. It had barely been two minutes when her two friends began arguing. Exhaling in relief, she meticulously sets up their elegant, yet completely mismatched tea set on an isolated picnic table under a large willow.

She sings softly to herself.

"There are dog and caterpillars and a copper centipede, where the lazy daisies love the very peaceful life they lead..." 

Sin abruptly stops singing when she hears sharp breathing and pained bursts of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ sounded in the distance; growing slightly louder and louder as it drew closer to the pair. Turning her head, she sees a struggling Tate juggling the teapot from hand to hand due to trying to carry it without anything to protect his hands from its heat. Giggling above Sin’s head told her that a very mischievous cat was the cause of Tate’s distress.

Glancing up, she spotted the broad-grinned girl lounging on a branch. Absinthe picked up a rock the size of her palm and chucked it at the laughing cat, making her squeal and fall with a satisfying thump. Chesleigh glared up at her brown-skinned friend and hissed.

Sin narrows her eyes at the fallen girl. “Help him.” She says calmly, which gave an eerie feel to the command.

Chesleigh huffs as she stands and dusts herself off. “I hate it when you use that tone on me. It makes think that's what my mother would sound like, if I had one.” The teal dressed girl stalks off in the direction of their other friend, placing the cloths she had hidden from him in his hands while the teapot was in midair.

Once the two friends join Absinthe at the picnic table, Chesleigh sticks her tongue out at her. The blue-haired girl rolls her eyes and addresses Tate. “I honestly believe you are truly mad.” The boy shrugs timidly and passes Sin her hookah from his end of the table. 

He adds, “But all the best people are.” 

Chesleigh giggles and raises her teacup in a ‘cheers’ motion. Tate grins excitedly and raises his cup next to hers. The two stare at Absinthe expectantly. She sighs before smirking and adding her cup to theirs. 

“To the maddest of them all!” They say together and clinked their teacups, tea sloshing over their cups and down the arms of the trio of Underlandians.


	4. Chapter 4

“Who does she think she is?!” Jay hears his purple-haired friend fuming and stomping as she paces back and forth.

“Who pissed in your potion?” He asks as he sits atop their unofficially claimed picnic table. Mal glares at the dark-haired boy, eyes glowing an unnatural shade of green. Jay throws his hands up to surrender. “I was just kidding. Chill, Mal.” Mal continues pacing with a growl erupting from the back her throat.

“One of the new kids insulted her.” Evie explained as she tried to calm down her best friend.

“Did they happen to have blue hair and was surrounded by smoke?” He arched an eyebrow, knowing full well who they were referring to.

Mal freezes mid-stride and, once again, her eyes are trained on Jay. “So you’ve met the little bug?”

He smirks and nods. “Her name is Absinthe and her body is whew…” He whistles low at the thought of her favorably proportioned, hourglass figure. He nudges his dog-loving best friend, who simply rolls his eyes at the hormone-driven teen. “She is pretty weird though.”

Carlos tilted his head with look of curiosity. “What did she do to you?”

“Nothing. She was completely unaffected by me and I was nearly naked!” He exclaimed.

The son of Cruella de Vil again rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, it’s so odd that a girl actually doesn’t want to sleep with you.” He says sarcastically, yet was low-key becoming increasingly impressed with this girl. First, she insults Mal, daughter of the most gruesome of villains, Maleficent. Then, she shuts down the guy at Auradon Prep that gets any girl he sets his sights on. Well, maybe this girl was worth talking to.

\---

“So...we have to take a class to assimilate into Upperland society?” Sin asks, a cloud of bloodred smoke billowing between her and the newly crowned king.

“Uh--well, it’s just to help you guys adjust. That’s all.” Ben explains honestly and genuinely, with a bit of naiveté.

“No.” She answers languidly with just enough steel in her voice to convey the finality of her opinion and decision on the subject.

“I guess it sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it?” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Chesleigh’s eyes narrowed into a glare that cut him so deep that he could almost feel it as though the silver of her eyes were a newly sharpened blade. “You think?” She spat.

His hands raised in surrender and he slowly backed away. “I promise I will get you guys out of it.” He pivoted and made his way towards the headmistress’s office.

“ _Remedial Uniformity_ …” Tate tested the taste of the words and spluttered as though trying to get the taste of size-me-right soup off his tongue. “That tastes absolutely putrid.”

“They had us take Remedial Goodness. Try that.” A voice said from behind the trio. As they turned around, they were met with a small boy with black and white hair in a faux-fur vest. He smiled warmly. 

Tate eyed the boy cautiously before rolling the words on his tongue. “ _Remedial Goodness_ …” He smiled in satisfaction. “That one tastes a lot better.”

“Who are you…?” Sin let out a long, dull plume of smoke, directly hitting Carlos in the face. The black/white haired boy coughed and desperately tried to wave the smoke away. With a roll of her eyes, Absinthe waved and the smoke simply disappeared.

“Let me guess...Absinthe?” Carlos says pointedly.

The brown-skinned girl sighed, letting the smoke form rings around the newcomer’s neck. “Wrong guess. You’re not Absinthe. I am Absinthe. Who...Are...You…?” Each word of the question drifted out of her mouth in the form of different colored smoke.

“Carlos de Vil.” He said almost nervously.

“Doesn't seem like you can hold your smoke, but I approve.” She says simply.

Chesleigh and Tate stared at her with wide questioning eyes, which she answered with a shrug. Her attention turned upwards to the ceiling as she let a mixture of colors billow out of her slightly parted lips.

“Uh...you don’t even really know me, but thank you?” Carlos said, something blossoming in his chest at her words. Something that made him smile with pride.

“Sure…” Sin gave him a slight, almost unnoticeable smile.

“Tate HighTopp.” The large-eyed boy tipped his hat.

“Chesleigh.” The silver-haired girl gave a small wave.

“S-so…” He started awkwardly. “I heard you challenged Mal.”

Absinthe rolled her eyes, taking an impossibly long drag of her pipe before steadily releasing multi-colored fumes in odd shapes. “I corrected her. I did not challenge her.” She pivoted listlessly and made her way out of the nearest exit.

Carlos stood stunned, unsure of how to react. Chesleigh gave him a look of sympathy. “Don’t worry.” She said, placing a dainty hand on his shoulder.

“It runs in her family. She’s always been like that.” Tate adds.

“Well...not always.” Chesleigh muttered a little too loudly.

“Chess…shove the cat back in the bag.” Tate scolds warningly. The girl slaps a hand over her mouth with wide eyes and quickly vaporizes in shame.

“What was that about?” Carlos inquired.

With a sigh, the young hatter runs a hand down his face. “A sound you heard is nothing at all.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” Clapping the smaller teen on the back, Tate gives him a drowsy smile. “I’m going to go see where Chesleigh disappeared to. We’ll see you at dinner.”

\---

Jay eyed his friend curiously as the black/white haired teen entered their dorm with a wide smile on his face. “Hey man. What’s up?”

Carlos plopped down onto his bed, bouncing a bit as he did so. “Dude, they are so cool. Kinda weird, but cool.”

“The new kids?” Jay asked.

“Yeah.”

“What’d I tell you? Absinthe’s hot, huh?” Jay exclaimed..

Carlos nodded in agreeance. “And I know she seems a bit mean and detached, but she seems like a genuinely nice person.”

“And she is so...chill, ya know?” Jay added with a look of admiration.

“Although, that could just be the drugs.” Carlos said, but Jay just shrugged.

\---

Chesleigh was curled up on a tabletop as Tate intuitively stroked her head whilst he sipped on a cup of tea. “Kitten,” Sin said with a mixture of disinterest and irritation as she joined her friends. “People kinda need a spot to put their food.”

Sighing, Leigh lethargically lowered herself from their isolated table. Absinthe chuckled at her dramatic best friend as she placed her tray of food on the table. As soon as the blue-haired teen was seated, her silver-haired best friend laid on the bench and nudged Sin’s thigh before placing her head in her lap.

Absinthe shook her head in amusement. “So needy…” She muttered, but ran the fingers of one hand through her friend’s hair as she ate, a low steady purr emitting from Chesleigh.

They were soon joined by the young hatter’s black/white haired roommate. “Where’s Chesleigh?” Carlos asked.

“You hear that purring sound?” Tate said and the shorter teen nodded. “That’s her.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Carlos looks under the table. Leigh gives him a lazy wave before rubbing her cheek against Sin’s thigh. The caramel-skinned girl sighs before giving Cheshire’s daughter half of her dinner roll. “You know,” Absinthe says monotonously. “You could just get your own food.” Chesleigh responds by innocently taking a bite of the bread in her hand and snuggles closer to her friend’s abdomen. “Yeah, yeah...whatever.” Absinthe inhales from her never-too-far pipe and releases the vapors into Chesleigh’s face, causing the cat to cough followed by a tired giggle.

“Carlos!” A girl’s voice exclaims appalled. The group meets the surprised gaze of girl with blue-streaked black hair.

“Evie, hey!” Carlos smiles easily. She was harmless and he knew that, if given the chance, she’d like his new acquaintances.

“Mal is not going to be happy about this.” She whispers worriedly.

“Relax…” He waves off her concern.

“Please,” Tate stands and gestures to the table. “You are welcome to join us.”

Cautiously, Evie places her tray beside Absinthe. “Hello. I’m Evie.” She says nervously.

“Daughter of the Evil Queen?” A voice pipes up.

Evie jumps, startled by the sudden question. Looking down in Absinthe’s lap, she notices a girl looking up at her through thick silver lashes. “Oh, hello. Yes, that’s my mother.”

The girl extends a hand backwards to her. “I’m Chesleigh, daughter of Cheshire Cat. Call me Leigh.” Evie chuckles and they shake hands rather awkwardly due to Chesleigh’s position.

“Tate Hightopp.” The emerald-eyed boy smiles welcomingly and places his hat on the table. “Son of Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter as he is called here in Upperland.”

Chesleigh slowly raises her hand and reaches for the hat. Sin notices and grabs her friend’s wrist. “Too long a stick brings both pleasure and pain.” She grips Chesleigh’s wrist tighter on her final word before releasing it with a warning glare down to the mischievous cat.

Chesleigh rubs her wrist. “Culpability stands upon somebody else’s legs.” The silver-eyed girl hisses.

“It never does.” Sin shoots back easily before turning her attention to Evie. “I am Absinthe, daughter of Absolem. He is known to you as the Blue Caterpillar.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you all.” Evie smiles uneasily.

Sin holds her pipe out to the black-haired girl. “Take a drag. It eases the nerves.”

Giggling, Chesleigh swats the pipe away. “Leave the poor girl alone, you addict.”

Sin simply shrugs. “I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable. My family isn’t exactly what’d you call...sociable.” She says with great sincerity to Evie.

“It’s...alright.” Evie responds with a bit of surprise in her tone as she begins to relax.

“Not as bad as Mal made her out to be, huh?” Carlos smirks and his dark-haired friend shakes her head.

“Oh, with that again!” Tate exclaims, irritation lacing his tone.

“Oh yes…That...” Sin drawls. “Tis a pet peeve of mine when one calls my home ‘Wonderland’ rather than its proper name, Underland.”

“Yes, you and your old bug of a father.” Chesleigh adds with a giggle and Tate chuckles.

“Definitely one way to get hexed.” Jay grins cheekily as he sits beside Tate.

“Will everyone please leave what happened earlier alone? It’s honestly nothing worth fretting about.” Sin sighs.

“Tell that to Mal.” The tanned boy snorts.

Evie rolls her eyes, but nods. “She has been freaking out since it happened.”

“You should apologize.” Chesleigh suggests to her blue-haired best friend, who simply quirks an eyebrow at her in questioning. “Oh, come on. You just apologized to Evie a minute ago.”

“That was a justified.” Absinthe answers before leaving the table with her empty tray, letting her friend’s head slide off her lap slowly.

“She is so stubborn.” Leigh huffs.

“Being stubborn isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just depends on how you see it.” Tate responds, easing his friend’s irritation.


End file.
